Hey nic, I was thinking about what you said regarding horchata and saki. I have had this "milky saki" several times.I think it is unfiltered saki basically. Ever had it? I think it is popular in Korea. Milky opaque in appearance sweet and mildly alcoholic in taste.

Just got me to thinking.What about making horchata, then fermenting it and bottle carb. Has to be something ferment-able in starchy rice water, right?

Cloudy sake...that's my favorite stuff, called nigori sake. Usually sweeter and milder in taste, although it can be plenty strong in ABV, still. Nigorizake is what I pick up if I'm going to watch Toshiro Mifune movies! Nigori sake, yakitori, and one of those long, black and white Kurosawa period piece movies makes for a nice evening.

Horchata I don't think would actually ferment properly, at least in a sake sort of way...I made the suggestion in jest...the sake fermentation process is actually a lot more complicated, not though I could adequately explain it, but it involves the use of something like a benign mold to convert the starches to a fermentable status. Now, horchata is probably sweetened with sugar, so THAT would ferment I bet, and you would then have a very low ABV thick rice beverage, but I doubt the rice would be converted to alcohol in the way sake does.

But nigorizake is great. If I wasn't so cheap I'd have it more often. Not that its that expensive, I guess, but I barely buy commercial beer any more, such is the expanding extent of my cheapness. Someday I'll start trying to brew it meself.